Thermostatic radiator valve



Dec. 18, 1934.

E. J. DONNELLY 'IHERMOSTATIC RADIATOR VALVE Filed D96. 2, 1932jnz/azwziora' Edema/rd DomwZ Patented Dec. 18, 1934 UNITED STATES PA NTThis invention relates to improvements in radiator valves and has forits object to provide a valve of simple construction which will operateautomaticallyto permit air to escape from the valve, to prevent air fromentering the valve, and

to prevent steam and water from escaping fro the valve. 1

Another object of the invention is to embody in the structure of thevalve a movable valve member constructed as a float and normallyresting, in an open or unseated position upon a thermostatic elementwhich upon being heated by steam whichenters the valve from a radiatorto which the valve is attached, is adapted to expand automatically andthereby bend in a manner to lift the valve member causing the latter tobe seated and thereby preventing steam frompassing through the valve andbeing discharged therefrom. I

,Another object ofrthe invention is to provide a means for preventingthe thermostatic element from becoming displaced from its normalposition or becoming distorted when the valve is bein cleaned and for atthe same time determining at a glance as to whether said thermostaticelement is correctly positioned to function effectively.

. Still-another object of the invention is to provide a valvein whichthe valve seat members although closely associated with each other atthe top of the valve are nevertheless separable from each other and canbe replaced independently if the occasion demands.

The invention consists in a valve as set forth in the followingspecification and particularly as pointed out in the claims thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a radiator valve embodying myinvention- Fig. 2 is a central vertical section taken on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow on said line.

Fig-3 is a detail horizontal section taken on the line 3.-3 of Fig. 2;

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of thedrawing. 7

In the drawing, 5 represents a casing comprising a base portion 6 and anupper portion 7, the latter being detachably secured to the base portionby having screw-threaded engagement therewith at 8. The interior of thecasing 5 constitutes a steam chamber 9, and the base portion 6 of thecasing is provided with an externally threaded arm 10 having a fluidpassage 11 extending therethrough and. communicating with said chamber.

Mounted within the steam chamber 9 is a thermostatic element 12, one endportion of which is rigidly secured to-a disc 13 by means of a rivet13'. The disc 13 rests loosely within the casing 5 at the bottom of thechamber 9. The thermostatic element 12 is bent at 14 into semi-circularform and prior to being mounted in the chamber 9 is heat treated in awell-known manner to approximately 380 temperature and to apredetermined form in order that said element Will always be accurate inits operation and will not become distorted while in use. Restingloosely upon the upper free portion of the thermostatic element 12 is amovable valve member 15 embodying therein a buoyant member or float 16and pin 17, the latter terminating at its upper extremity in aconicalportion 18 which is adapted to co-operate with a valve seat 19formed at the lower end of a port 20 provided in .a bushing 21 which ismounted in the upper. portion? of the casing 5. The bushing 21 is heldsecurely clamped upon the member '7 of the casing 5 by means of a nut 22which is located upon the exterior of the casing and has screw-threadedengagement with the bushing, and the port 20 is located upon the 'medianaxial line of said bushing.

The float 16, is of slightly less diameter. than the diameter of theinterior of the upper casing member 7 so that whileresting upon theupper portion of the thermostatic element 12 the float is guided duringits upward and downward 1 Detachably secured to the nut 22 is a cap 24which preferably has screw-threaded engagement with the periphery ofsaid nut and is seated against a shoulder 25 provided upon said nut. Thebushing 21, nut22 and. .cap 24 are assembled in such a manner as toprovide a' valve chamber 26 therebetween with which the port 20communicates. A gravity actuated valve member 27 constructed in the formof a disc rests loosely within the chamber 26 upon a seat 28 provided atthe upper extremity of the nut 22, and a space is provided between theunder surface of said valve member and the upper extremity of thebushing 21,'said space forming a portion of the chamber 26. A port 29 ispro.- vided in the cap 24 communicating with the chamber 26. g

. It is evident that it is desirable occasionally to clean the valveupon the interior thereof and remove from the steam chamber 9 foreignparticles such as rust and dirt which may have accumulated therein. Atsuch timesit is necessary to exercise considerable care so as not todisturb the position of the free end portion of the thermostatic element12, as to do so would seriously affect the operation of the valve. Toprevent such an occurrence and also to provide a means whereby thenormal position of they thermostatic element may be established, Iprovide apositioning member 30 constructed of the same material as thethermostatic element 12 and also adapted to function as a thermostaticelement. The positioning member 30 rests upon the upper surface of thelower portion of the element 12 and is secured thereto and to the casingmember 6 by the rivet 13. Thepositioning member 30 is ftu'thermore soformed that when it is subjected to heat thattheupper portion thereofwill bend or flex toward the left in Fig. 2. A rectangular opening 31 isprovided in the-positioning inember 30 to receive a tongue '32 formed atthe upper extremityof thethermostaticelement 12 andpreferably when thethermostatic element 12 is located in its normal position'the undersurface of said tongue rests upon the lower edge of the opening 31 and afront edge 33 of the thermostatic element 12 rests against a face of thepositioning member 30. The positioning member 30 may therefore beutilized at any time to determine whether the element 12 is correctlypositioned, or not, within the steam chamber 9.

In the operation of the valve, the upper portion of the positioningmember 30 will flex toward the left in Fig. 2 and the free end of thethermostatic element 12 will flex upwardly and toward the right, therebyfreeing the tongue 32 from the opening 31 and preventing interferencebetween the elements 12 and 30. The further movement of the thermostaticelement 12 will causethe'latter to function in a manner to behereinafter more fully explained. When the elements 12 and 30 arelocated in their normal or interlocked positions and the upper casingmember 7 is removed from the base portion 6 for the purpose of cleaningthe interior of the steam chamber 9, if the fingers of the cleanercontact with the thermostatic element 12 in a manner to distort theupper or free portion of said element, the positioning member 30, onaccount of its interlockingengagement with the tongue 220i the element12, will act to prevent both a lateral and downward displacement of theupper portion of said element.

The general operation of the valve hereinbefore specifically describedis as follows:Assuming that the valve is attached in the usual wellknownmanner to a radiator and steam is circulating within the radiator andenters the valve therefrom, the heat of the steam will cause thethermostatic element 12 to bend or flex at which time the upper free endportion thereof will move upwardly lifting the movable valve member 15and causing the conical portion 18 of the pin 17 to contact With thevalve seat 19 thereby preventing steam from within the chamber 9 frombeing discharged through the port 20, chamber 26 and port 29 to theatmosphere. When thereis no steam within the radiator and cham ber 9 ofthe valve 5 and both are cold, the gravity actuated valve member 27 willrest upon the valve seat 28 thereby closing the port from above andpreventing air from entering the steam chamber 9 and radiator.

If, on'the other hand, there is air within the radiator and the casing 5to the extent that said air prevents the efficient circulating of thesteam through the radiator, said air will cause the valve member 27 torise slightly from its seat 28 thereby allowing said air to passoutwardly from the chamber 9 through the port '20, chamber :26, and theport 29, to the atmosphere, until such time as said air is removed fromthe radiator, where- 'upon the incoming steam entering the radiator andeasing 5 will again cause the thermostatic element 12 to flex, ashereinbefore mentioned, and-again lift the movable valve member 15 andcause the latter to close the port 20.

During the operation of the movable valve member- 15 the fioat 16 andpin 17 are guided effectively to cause the conical portion 18 of saidpin 17 to engage the valve seat 19:by the interiorwall ofthe uppercasing member Tand the Wall of the passage 23.

If for any reason water-entersthe casing -5 from the radiator andreaches thel-evehof the float 16, the movable valve member :15 will beactuated by the water to close the port 20, thereby preventing said'water from being discharged from the casing through the-port29.

I claim:

1. A valve of the character described having, in combination, acasing'having a steam chamber therein provided with a port communicatingwith the atmosphere, a thermostatic element mounted within said'chamber,abuoyant valve member mounted upon said thermostatic element andactuated by the latter to open and close said port, and otherthermostatic means normally interlocking with said first-namedthermostatic elemerit whereby the normalposition of the latter may beestablished.

2. A valve of the character described having, in combinatioma casinghaving a steam chamber therein provided with a port communicating withthe atmosphere, a thermostatic element mounted within said chamber, abuoyant valve -member mounted upon said thermostatic element andactuated by the latter to open and close said port,-and otherthermostatic means for maintaining the normal position of thefirst-named thermostatic element at a predetermined location.

3. A valve of'the characterdescribed having, in combination, a casinghaving'a'steam chamber therein provided with a port communicating withthe atmosphere, a thermostati'c element mounted within said chamber, abuoyant valve member mounted upon said thermostatic element and actuatedby the latter to open and close said port,

and other thermostatic means to prevent the 2 EDWARD J. DONNELLY.

